Top tips and apps to get the best iPhone photos

CAMERAS on smart phones are becoming so good, plenty of people totally rely on them to capture their most precious moments.

But how can you get the most of your iPhone or Android smart phone?

Australian PHD student Kim Goodwin is no slouch when it comes to iPhone photography.

One of her photos, of the glaciers in Argentina, featured in Apple's recent World Gallery.

Kim Goodwin's Top iPhone 6 photography tips

1. Shoot everything, shoot often.

Take, and share, photos every day. I sometimes participate in social media # challenges, other times just for myself. Since becoming a daily iPhone photographer I've found I'm always on the lookout for something interesting to shoot (beyond the obligatory food and selfies) and when I find it I take a lot of shots to find just the right one. My husband, and dog, are used to me stopping in the middle of the street to photograph something.

2. Shoot wide, crop later.

I rarely use zoom when taking iPhone pictures, preferring the control of cropping later. I've found when travelling, especially recently in Argentina and Chile, that landscapes and panorama shots worked exceptionally well on the iPhone. I guess it is what you are used to, as my non-iPhone camera is a fixed lens. Move your body, don't rely on the camera to do the work.

3. Use natural light

Never use flash. iPhone camera and apps allow you to shoot in all sorts of light. I find that doing this, and editing the photo later provides the best result. Or get someone else to be your light source. Me, I tend to just shoot in the best light possible or just put the phone down.

4.Participate in photographic communities

You can learn a lot from looking at other people's images. The community on Instagram, for example, is very friendly and there's a lot of support. I feel my images have improved from following people who use iPhones regularly, as I've absorbed tips and lessons from their work.

In the past I bought a lot of camera apps, but I've found I really only use two or three.

iPhone apps I use every day:

Instagram - I love the community on Instagram, it's the friendliest. I know not all photos are taken via phone, but I especially appreciate the amazing ones that are.

Camera + - This is my go to camera. 90% of the images I share are taken and edited through this app. Simple to use and effective.

VSCOcam - Has the most features to play with and an excellent range of filters. I rarely use Instagram filters, preferring the ones in Camera + and VSCOcam. In most cases, however, I prefer to play with clarity, rather than use a filter.